CN118176573A

CN118176573A - Injection module for a processing chamber

Info

Publication number: CN118176573A
Application number: CN202280073189.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 克里斯托弗·S·奥尔森; 卡蒂克·布彭德拉·仙; 柴坦尼亚·安贾内亚鲁·普拉萨德; 维希瓦·库马尔·帕迪; 阿尼尔·库马尔·博德普迪; 埃里卡·汉森
Original assignee: Applied Materials Inc
Current assignee: Applied Materials Inc
Priority date: 2021-11-03
Filing date: 2022-10-18
Publication date: 2024-06-11
Also published as: US20230133402A1; TW202334494A; KR20240093998A; WO2023081008A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a gas injection module for a process chamber. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body; a rotatable substrate support disposed within the processing volume of the chamber body, the substrate support configured to have a rotational spin rate; an inlet port formed in the chamber body; and an injection module coupled to the inlet port. The injection module includes: a main body; one or more gas inlets coupled to the body; a plurality of nozzles formed in a supply face of the body, the supply face being configured to face an interior of the chamber body, and the gas exiting from the injection module being configured to have a flow rate; the process chamber further includes a controller configured to operate the process chamber such that a ratio of the flow rate to the rotational spin rate is between about 1/3 and 3.

Description

Injection module for a processing chamber

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to deposition, modification, or removal of thin film materials, and in particular thin film materials, on a substrate, such as a semiconductor substrate. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a gas injection module for a process chamber, such as a Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) process chamber.

Background

Deposition, modification, or removal of thin film materials on a substrate is largely dependent on the flux of precursor gases across the surface of the substrate. During substrate rotation, the rotational speed (i.e., rotational spin rate) generally dictates the precursor gas flow rate within the process chamber. In particular, at process volume pressure ranges of about 100Torr or higher, lower relative gas flow rates (compared to the spin rate of rotation) may result in low flux at the center of the substrate. The area of low flux at the center of the substrate may be referred to as the "stagnant area". In some examples, such as radical oxidation, relatively low growth of oxide films (compared to edge regions) occurring in stagnant regions at the center of the substrate may result in an undesirably high degree of film thickness non-uniformity across the surface of the substrate. Accordingly, there is a need for apparatus and methods that improve precursor gas flux across the surface of a substrate.

Disclosure of Invention

In some embodiments, a process chamber suitable for semiconductor fabrication is provided. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body; a rotatable substrate support disposed within the processing volume of the chamber body, the substrate support configured to have a rotational spin rate; an inlet port formed in the chamber body; and an injection module coupled to the inlet port. The injection module includes: a main body; one or more gas inlets coupled to the body; and a plurality of nozzles formed in a supply face of the body, the supply face being configured to face an interior of the chamber body, and the gas exiting from the injection module being configured to have a flow rate; the process chamber further includes a controller configured to operate the process chamber such that a ratio of the flow rate to the rotational spin rate is between about 1/3 and 3.

In some embodiments, a process chamber is provided. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body; a rotatable substrate support disposed inside the chamber body; an inlet port formed in the chamber body; and an injection module coupled to the inlet port. The injection module includes: a main body; one or more gas inlets coupled to the body; and a plurality of nozzles formed in a supply face of the body, the supply face being configured to face an interior of the chamber body, wherein the supply face has a void region, wherein adjacent nozzles have a larger spacing therebetween than a spacing between other pairs of adjacent nozzles of the plurality of nozzles.

In some embodiments, a process chamber is provided. The processing chamber includes: a chamber body; a rotatable substrate support disposed inside the processing volume of the chamber body; an inlet port formed in the chamber body; and an injection module coupled to the inlet port. The injection module includes two or more body portions; for each pair of adjacent body portions of the two or more body portions, a vertical partition separates the adjacent body portions; for each of the two or more body portions, a gas inlet is coupled to the respective body portion and to a gas conduit coupled to the respective gas inlet; and for each of the two or more body portions, a plurality of nozzles are formed in the supply face of the respective body portion.

Drawings

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a processing chamber according to some embodiments.

Fig. 2A is a plan view of the processing chamber of fig. 1, according to an example of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a plan view of the processing chamber of fig. 1, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 3A-3D are isometric views of various implant modules that may be used in the process chamber of fig. 1, according to examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4A-4D are cross-sectional views of various implant modules that may be used in the process chamber of fig. 1 in accordance with examples of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4E is a schematic isometric view of an injection module that may be used in the processing chamber of fig. 1, according to an example of the present disclosure.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to a gas injection module for a process chamber having a process volume pressure range of about 100Torr or greater. The implantation module may advantageously increase the gas flux across one or more regions of the surface of the substrate. The injection module may advantageously increase the relative gas flow rate compared to the rotational spin rate. The injection module may advantageously improve air flow directionality compared to conventional chamber designs. The implantation module may achieve greater reaction uniformity and/or adjustability across one or more regions of a surface of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber.

The injection module embodiments of the present disclosure provide increased relative gas flow rates and improved gas flow directionality as compared to previous gas injection module or showerhead designs. The provided gas flow rate may match or exceed the rotational spin rate of the substrate support within the processing chamber. The gas flow rates and directions provided enable gas to be displaced from stagnant areas at or near the center of the substrate. Improved displacement of gases from stagnant regions may increase reactivity near the center of the substrate, thereby improving center-to-edge (C-E) reaction uniformity.

In one example, the gas flow rate is about 0.5 times to about 2.0 times the rotational spin rate of the substrate support at its periphery. In one example, the perimeter of the substrate support is approximately within the diameter of the substrate support supporting the substrate. In one example, the gas flow rate may be greater than about 0.1 meters per second (m/s) and less than about 6m/s depending on the rotational spin rate of the substrate support, the process volume pressure, and the size of the substrate. In another embodiment, the gas flow rate may be greater than about 6m/s. In other embodiments, the substrate may be a 200mm wafer, 300mm wafer, or 450mm wafer. For example, for 200mm, 300mm and 450mm wafers, the gas flow rates may be between about 0.3m/s and about 2.6m/s, between about 0.4m/s and about 3.8m/s, and between about 0.7m/s and about 5.7m/s, respectively.

Injection module embodiments of the present disclosure may enable improved control of gas flow distribution and/or directionality within a process chamber as compared to previous gas injection module or showerhead designs. The rate, distribution and/or directionality of the gas flow may be adjustable, which may thereby improve gas flux and reaction uniformity.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary processing chamber 110 that may be used to implement the methods described herein. As shown in fig. 1, the processing chamber 110 is a Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) chamber, although other types of chambers may be used. In general, according to examples of the present disclosure, the process chamber 110 holds a substrate 132 for processing in a gaseous environment.

Generally, the process chamber 110 is configured to receive the substrate 132 therein and rotate the substrate 132 while receiving energy into the process chamber 110 to heat the substrate 132 to an elevated temperature. The elevated temperature of the substrate 132 results in a faster reaction rate of the reactive species introduced into the process chamber 110 with the substrate 132 or portions of the thin film material layer on the substrate 132. In some examples, the substrate 132 may be a semiconductor substrate (e.g., formed of silicon). As shown in fig. 1, a substrate 132 is supported on the edge ring 130. An edge ring 130 is disposed on the substrate support 128. In other embodiments, it is contemplated that the substrate 132 is directly supported on the substrate support 128. A substrate support 128 is coupled to the rotor 126. The rotor 126 may be annular, as shown in FIG. 1. The rotor 126 is configured to rotate the substrate 132 about a central axis 175 of the rotor 126 to allow the substrate 132 to be uniformly heated by the energy source through the process chamber 110. The rotor 126 may be configured to rotate the substrate 132 at a rotational spin rate of greater than or equal to about 0.5 hertz (such as about 2 hertz or greater, such as about 4 hertz or greater).

The process chamber 110 may have a process volume pressure range of about 100Torr or greater. It is presently believed that for chambers operating in a process volume pressure range of about 100Torr to about 600Torr and having a substrate rotation frequency greater than or equal to about 2 Hz, the rotational convection resistance (rotational convective drag force) accelerates the gas velocity to approximately 1-2m/s. It is also believed that this convective resistance impedes migration of new (fresh) reactants to the center of the substrate. The processing chamber 110 includes a chamber body 120 having a sidewall portion 121 and a lower portion 123. The window 122 is disposed over the sidewall portion 121 of the chamber body 120 such that the processing volume 170 is formed between the window 122 and the substrate support 128. In some examples, window 122 may be transparent to electromagnetic energy. The rapid annealing lamp assembly 116 is disposed above the window 122. In one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, the lamp assembly 116 is less than or equal to about 3 centimeters (cm), such as about 2cm or less, above the base support from the substrate support. The lamp assembly 116 includes a housing 154 and a plurality of lamps 146 disposed in the housing 154. Each lamp 146 is disposed within a corresponding opening 153 in the housing 154. The lamps 146 are connected to a power supply controller 176 via a plurality of electrical sockets 148 (e.g., one socket 148 for each lamp 146). During operation, the lamps 146 emit radiation through the window 122 toward the substrate 132 disposed in the process chamber 110 to heat the substrate 132 to a predetermined temperature. In some examples, the predetermined temperature may be in a range of about 20 ℃ to about 1,500 ℃, such as about 200 ℃ to about 1,300 ℃.

In some examples, window 122 may be formed of a material that is resistant to the processing environment (e.g., a material that remains rigid when exposed to elevated temperatures and/or a material that is transparent to radiation emitted by lamp 146). In some examples, window 122 may be formed of quartz or sapphire. In some examples, window 122 may be coated with an anti-reflective coating. As shown in fig. 1, the optical filter 119 is coated on the inner surface of the window 122 (i.e., facing the substrate support 128 as shown). In some examples, one or more filters may be disposed on one or both sides of window 122. In some examples, if the lamp 146 has a significant Ultraviolet (UV) light output, one or more UV filters may be used to limit or prevent UV ions and/or radicals from being transmitted from the lamp 146 into the processing chamber 110 to reduce UV damage to UV sensitive structures on the substrate 132. In some examples, one or more notch filters (notch filters) may be used to allow narrowband radiation.

In some embodiments, the filter 119 blocks radiation having a wavelength in a particular range of about 780nm to about 880nm while transmitting radiation having a wavelength outside the particular range. In some examples, the optical filter 119 may be formed from a plurality of alternating layers, such as alternating oxide layers. In some examples, the optical filter 119 may include alternating layers of silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide, with the silicon dioxide layer being located at opposite ends of the optical filter 119. In some examples, the filter 119 may include 30 to 50 alternating layers. In some examples, the optical filter 119 may be coated onto an outside surface of the window 122 (i.e., facing the lamp assembly 116), coated onto an inside surface of the window 122 (i.e., facing the substrate support 128, as shown), or embedded in the window 122.

An inlet port 180 and an outlet port (e.g., 182 in fig. 2A) are formed in the sidewall portion 121 of the chamber body 120. In some examples, the operating pressure within the process chamber 110 may be reduced to sub-atmospheric pressure prior to introducing the process gas through the inlet port 180. A vacuum pump 184 (shown schematically in fig. 1) pumps out gas from the interior of the process chamber 110 through an exhaust port 186 formed in the sidewall portion 121 of the chamber body 120 to evacuate the process chamber 110. A valve 188 disposed between the exhaust port 186 and the vacuum pump 184 is used to control the pressure within the process chamber 110. In some other examples, the process chamber 110 may operate at a process volume pressure in a range of about 100Torr or greater (e.g., from about 100Torr to about 600 Torr). A second vacuum pump 192 (shown schematically in fig. 1) is connected to the lamp assembly 116 to reduce the pressure within the lamp assembly 116 (particularly when the pressure within the process chamber 110 is pumped to a reduced pressure) to reduce the pressure differential across the window 122. The pressure within the lamp assembly 116 is controlled by a valve 194.

An annular channel 124 is formed in the chamber body 120. The channel 124 is located near the lower portion 123 of the chamber body 120. A rotor 126 and a substrate support 128 are disposed in the channel 124. As shown in fig. 1, the substrate support 128 is a cylinder. In some examples, the substrate support 128 is formed of a material having high heat resistance (e.g., black quartz). An edge ring 130 is disposed over the rotatable substrate support 128 and is contactable with the substrate 132. As shown in fig. 1, the plane of the edge ring 130 is parallel to the X-Y plane (horizontal). A rotor cover 127 is provided on the lower portion 123 of the chamber body 120, outside the edge ring 130. The channel 124 has an outer wall 150 (i.e., radially outward relative to the inner wall 152) and an inner wall 152. The lower portion 155 of the outer wall 150 has a first radius and the upper portion 156 of the outer wall 150 has a second radius that is greater than the first radius. An intermediate portion 158 of the outer wall 150 connecting the lower portion 155 to the upper portion 156 extends linearly therebetween, forming a chamfer facing the edge ring 130. The rotor cover 127 has a first portion 160 disposed on the upper surface 123a of the lower portion 123 of the chamber body 120 and a second portion 162 extending into the channel 124 along the upper portion 156 of the outer wall 150. The rotor cover 127 extends partially over the opening 177 of the channel 124 to prevent particle deposition or accumulation due to precursor gas flow into the process chamber 110. As shown in fig. 1, the rotor cover 127 is an annular ring. In some examples, the rotor cover 127 may be formed from a ceramic material (e.g., alumina). The rotor cover 127 includes a first surface 131 facing the window 122. As shown in fig. 1, the first surface 131 is parallel to the window 122 to prevent radiant energy from being reflected toward the substrate 132. In some other examples, the first surface 131 may slope downward from the outside to the inside (i.e., radially inward). In other examples, the first surface 131 may slope downward from the inside to the outside (i.e., radially outward).

The stator 134 is located outside the chamber body 120 in a position axially aligned with the rotor 126. In some embodiments, the stator 134 is a magnetic stator and the rotor 126 is a magnetic rotor. During operation, the rotor 126 rotates relative to the stator 134, which stator 134 in turn rotates the substrate support 128, edge ring 130, and substrate 132 supported thereon.

During operation, the heat retained in the edge ring 130 may cause the temperature at the edge of the substrate 132 to be higher than the temperature at the center of the substrate 132. In some examples, the thickness of the edge ring 130 may be oversized to provide additional thermal mass to act as a heat sink, which helps to avoid overheating the edge of the substrate 132. In some embodiments, cooling members 143 are located near the edge ring 130 to act as a heat sink for cooling the edge ring 130. The cooling member 143 is disposed on the chamber base 125. The chamber base 125 is coupled to the chamber body 120. The chamber base 125 includes a first surface 171 and a second surface 172 opposite the first surface 171. As shown in fig. 1, the cooling member 143 is in direct contact with the first surface 171 of the chamber base 125. In some examples, the cooling member 143 may be formed of a material (e.g., a metal such as aluminum or copper …) having high thermal conductivity. Channels 137 are formed in the chamber base 125 for providing a flow of coolant (e.g., water) to the chamber base 125. In operation, coolant supplied to the channels 137 can cool the chamber base 125 and the cooling member 143 located near the chamber base 125. In one embodiment, which may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein, it is contemplated that a plurality of cooling channels 137 are formed in the chamber base 125.

Fins 140 are formed on edge ring 130 to provide additional thermal mass. In some examples, fins 140 may be continuous or discontinuous. In some embodiments, fins 140 are cylindrical. In some examples, fins 140 may include a plurality of discrete fins. Fins 140 are formed on the surface of edge ring 130 facing channel 124. As shown in fig. 1, fins 140 extend into channel 124. In some other examples, fins 140 may be formed on a surface of edge ring 130 facing window 122. In both embodiments, fins 140 are substantially perpendicular to the plane of edge ring 130.

Fig. 2A is a plan view of the process chamber 110 showing the process volume 170 of the process chamber 110 with the lamp assembly 116 removed, according to an example of the present disclosure. Fig. 2B is a plan view of the process chamber 110 with the lamp assembly 116 removed, according to some embodiments. As shown in fig. 2A, the process chamber 110 has a slit valve 203 that allows access into the chamber body 120 through an opening in the outer wall of the chamber body 120. The slit valve 203 may be coupled to a transfer chamber in which a transfer robot is disposed. The slit valve 203 allows loading and removing of the substrate 132 into and from the process volume inside the chamber body 120 (e.g., using a robotic end effector of a transfer robot). The slit valve 203 is located opposite the outlet port 182 formed in the chamber body 120. The door 207 closes and seals the opening to allow the environment of the process volume to be controlled independently of the environmental conditions outside of the chamber body 120.

As shown in fig. 2A, the slit valve 203 is located 90 ° counterclockwise from the inlet port 180. The outlet port 182 is located at a position 270 deg. counter-clockwise from the inlet port 180. The outlet port 182 is located 180 deg. from the slit valve 203. Thus, when the substrate 132 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, the gas flow sweeps at least 270 ° around the interior of the chamber body 120 before exiting through the outlet port 182. However, the inlet port 180, the outlet port 182, and the slit valve 203 may be positioned at various alternative locations relative to one another. In some examples, the outlet port 182 may be located 90 ° or 180 ° counter-clockwise from the inlet port 180. Similarly, for clockwise rotation, the outlet port 182 may be located 90 °, 180 °, or 270 ° clockwise from the inlet port 180. In some examples, the slit valve 203 may be located 180 ° from the inlet port 180. In some examples, the outlet port 182 and the slit valve 203 may coincide with each other (e.g., be located on the same side of the chamber body 120). In some examples, the outlet port 182 is flush with the inlet port 180 in the X-Y plane.

As shown in fig. 2A, a Remote Plasma Source (RPS) 200 is coupled to the process chamber 110 upstream of the inlet port 180. In some examples, the RPS200 may provide vaporization or plasma generation of a precursor gas that is subsequently provided to the process chamber 110 for interaction with the substrate 132. In other examples, no RPS200 is connected to the ingress port 180. In embodiments without RPS200, a mixture of inert gas and precursor gas is supplied directly to process chamber 110 through inlet port 180. In some examples, the precursor gas may include one or more reactive gases (e.g., water (e.g., H ₂ O) or heavy water (e.g., D ₂ O)) and/or inert gases (e.g., hydrogen (e.g., H ₂) or argon (e.g., ar)) (also referred to as "carrier gases"). In some examples, the reactant gas may be vaporized to form steam. The RPS200 is coupled to a gas supply 208 from a gas panel through a first conduit 201. The RPS200 is coupled to the inlet port 180 through a second conduit 202. As shown in fig. 2A, the second conduit 202 has a manifold 204 at a distal end relative to the RPS200 for providing volumetric expansion of the airflow to the inlet port 180.

As shown in fig. 2A, the injection module 206 is coupled between the inlet port 180 and the manifold 204 of the second conduit 202. In some other embodiments, the second conduit 202 is directly coupled to the injection module 206 without the need for a manifold 204 (e.g., as shown in fig. 3A and 3C). In some other embodiments, the second conduit 202 is split into multiple different gas flow paths that are independently coupled directly to the injection module 206 without the need for the manifold 204 (as shown in fig. 3B and 3D). The injection module 206 can control the rate, distribution, and/or directionality of the gas flow to the process chamber 110, as described in more detail below. The injection module 206 may be configured such that the inlet port 180 is substantially coplanar with the second conduit 202 and/or the manifold 204, allowing for a reduction in the size of the injection module 206. The flatness of the second conduit 202, injection module 206, and inlet port 180 may provide sufficient expansion space for the process gas, thereby promoting more uniform gas distribution while minimizing hardware size/space. In contrast, as is done in the prior art, the injected process gas follows a non-linear (or non-planar) path, resulting in turbulent and/or non-uniform gas distribution. In order to minimize turbulence and/or uneven gas distribution, relatively large manifolds are used in conventional approaches, resulting in greater hardware footprints.

The injection module 206 is configured to manage the airflow from the second conduit 202 such that the rate, distribution, and/or directionality of the airflow is within a desired range. In one example, the ratio of the flow rate of the gas exiting from the injection module 206 to the rotational spin rate of the substrate support is between about one third and about three, such as between about one half and about two. If the ratio of the flow rate of the gas exiting from the injection module 206 to the rotational spin rate of the substrate support is too low, the precursor gas may not reach the center of the substrate and thus may not displace the gas in the stagnant region near the center of the substrate 132, which may result in non-uniform deposition. If the ratio of the flow rate of the gas exiting from the injection module 206 to the rotational spin rate of the substrate support is too high, the precursor gas may exceed the stagnant area near the center of the substrate 132, which may result in non-uniform deposition. In some examples, the gas flow into the process chamber 110 may comprise a combined mixture of two or more gases. In one example, the gas stream may include a mixture of hydrogen and water (e.g., steam). In another example, the gas stream may comprise a mixture of argon and water (e.g., steam).

In some embodiments, the controller 176 (fig. 1) is configured to control the flow rate of the gas exiting from the injection module 206. In some embodiments, the controller 176 is configured to control the rotational spin rate of the substrate support. In some embodiments, the controller 176 is configured to control the pressure of the process volume. In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control a ratio of a flow rate of the gas exiting from the injection module 206 to a rotational spin rate of the substrate support, e.g., to be set and/or maintained at a ratio of between about one third and about three, such as between about one half and about two. The controller 176 typically includes one or more processors, memory, and support circuits. The one or more processors may include a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and may be one of any form of general purpose processor that may be used in an industrial environment. The memory or non-transitory computer-readable medium may be accessible by the one or more processors 184 and may be one or more of a memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), a floppy disk, a hard disk, or any other form of digital storage, local or remote. The support circuits are coupled to the one or more processors and may comprise a cache, clock circuits, input/output subsystems, power supplies, and the like. The various methods disclosed herein may generally be implemented as, for example, software routines under the control of one or more processors by the execution of computer instruction code stored in memory by the one or more processors. When the computer instruction code is executed by one or more processors, the one or more processors control the chamber 100 to perform processes according to various methods.

As shown in fig. 2A-2B, an additional inlet port 210 is formed in the chamber body 120. The positions of the outlet port 182 and the inlet port 210 are interchangeable. In some embodiments, during the same process, gas flow occurs through both inlet ports 180, 210 simultaneously or at different intervals. The inlet port 210 may be located 90, 180, or 270 degrees counter-clockwise from the outlet port 182. The flow of gas through the inlet port 210 may be controlled using the injection modules described herein. For example, each inlet port 180, 210 may have an injection module with a single gas inlet (shown in fig. 3A and 3C) or multiple gas inlets (shown in fig. 3B and 3D). In one example, only the inlet port 180 has an injection module with a single gas inlet. In another example, only the inlet port 180 has an injection module with multiple gas inlets. In another example, each inlet port 180, 210 has an injection module with a single gas inlet. In yet another example, each inlet port 180, 210 has an injection module with multiple gas inlets.

Fig. 3A-3D are isometric views of various implantation modules that may be used in the processing chamber 110, according to examples of the present disclosure. The embodiments of fig. 3A-3D may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein. Fig. 3A shows an injection module 300 having a body 302, a single gas inlet 304 configured to be coupled to the body 302, and a plurality of nozzles 306 formed in a supply face 308 of the body 302. The supply face 308 is configured to face the interior of the process chamber 110 when in operation. The plurality of nozzles 306 have a pitch defined by the horizontal distance between the centers of adjacent nozzles 306. As shown in FIG. 3A, the nozzles 306 are aligned in the vertical (Z) direction. In other words, the nozzles 306 are located on the same horizontal (X-Y) plane. In some embodiments, the body 302, gas inlet 304, and nozzle 306 are configured to be coplanar (i.e., in the same plane, here the X-Y plane) with the second conduit 202 (shown in fig. 2A). In some other embodiments, one or more of the body 302, the gas inlet 304, the nozzle 306, or a combination thereof are not aligned in the same plane as the second conduit 202. The supply face 308 is configured perpendicular to the plane of the edge ring 130 and perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 132 that contacts the edge ring 130. In some examples, the vertical spacing (measured in the Z-direction) between the surface of the substrate 132 and the nozzle 306 may be in the range of about 5mm to about 15mm, such as about 10mm.

As previously mentioned, it is presently believed that high convective resistance may prevent new (fresh) reactants from migrating to the center of the rotating substrate. Embodiments disclosed herein address this challenge by increasing the gas flow rate (relative to the rotational spin rate of the substrate) and by improved directionality of the gas flow. For example, as shown in fig. 3A-3D, the configuration of multiple nozzles formed in the supply face of the injection module may facilitate migration of new (fresh) reactants across rotational convection resistance toward the center of the rotating substrate.

The number, size, spacing, and planarity of the nozzles 306 are not limited by what is shown in the drawings. In one example, the number of nozzles 306 formed in the supply face 308 may be different than the number shown in fig. 3A. For example, 3, 4, or 5 nozzles 306 may be formed in the supply face 308. In one example, the size of each nozzle 306 formed in the supply face 308 may be different. For example, each of the nozzles may have a diameter between 20 mils and 100 mils, such as about 30 mils or 80 mils. In one example, each of the nozzles 306 may have different dimensions, spacing, and planarity.

Fig. 3B shows an implant module 310 having more than one implant region. The injection module 310 has two body portions 312a-312b that are separated from each other by a vertical partition 313. As shown in fig. 3B, the vertical partition 313 is perpendicular to the X-Z plane. The vertical partition 313 is located at or near the horizontal center (measured in the Y direction) between the two body parts 312a-312 b. The injection module 310 has two separate and independent gas inlets 314a-314b. Alternatively, in some embodiments, multiple body portions (e.g., 312a-312 b) may be coupled with a single gas inlet. As shown, the first gas inlet 314a is coupled to the first body portion 312a and the second gas inlet 314b is coupled to the second body portion 312b. Similar to FIG. 3A, a plurality of nozzles 316a-316b are formed in respective supply surfaces 318a-318b of each body portion 312a-312 b. However, in contrast to FIG. 3A, the first and second sets of nozzles 316a-316b of each body portion 312a-312b are only fluidly coupled to the respective gas inlets 314a-314b. In fig. 3B, the spacing between a pair of nozzles adjacent to the partition 313 is greater than the spacing between other adjacent pairs of nozzles. In some other examples, the spacing between each adjacent pair of nozzles is equal for all nozzles, or in other words, the nozzles have a uniform spacing.

In some embodiments, the two separate body portions 312A-312b, gas inlets 314a-314b, and nozzles 316a-316b are configured to be coplanar (i.e., in the same plane, here the X-Y plane) with the second conduit 202 (shown in FIG. 2A). In some other embodiments, one or more of the body portions 312a-312b, the gas inlets 314a-314b, the nozzles 316a-316b, or a combination thereof are not aligned in the same plane as the second conduit 202.

In some other examples, the injection module 310 may have more than two injection zones including more than two body portions, a separate gas inlet for each body portion, and a baffle between each adjacent body portion. In some examples, the body portions may have the same or different widths. In some examples, the number of individual gas inlets may be the same, greater or fewer than the number of injection zones or individual body portions. In some examples, the implant module 310 may have two to seven separate implant regions, such as two, three, four, five, six, or seven separate implant regions. In some examples, the first and second sets of nozzles 316a-316b may have one to seven independent nozzles, such as one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven independent nozzles. The gas flow through each injection zone may be independently controlled (e.g., using a proportional control valve on each gas inlet 314a-314 b). Independent control of the gas flow through each injection zone may enable better control of the gas flow rate, distribution, and/or directionality within the process chamber 110, thereby improving the gas flux and reaction uniformity across the surface of the substrate 132.

Fig. 3C illustrates an injection module 320 having a low flow region or "void region". The injection module 320 is similar to fig. 3A, having a main body 322, a single gas inlet 324 coupled to the main body 322, and a plurality of nozzles 326 formed in a supply face 328 of the main body 322. However, in contrast to fig. 3A, the supply face 328 has a void region 321 (inside the dashed line) with a larger spacing between adjacent nozzles than between other adjacent pairs of nozzles. In some examples, the spacing between adjacent nozzles in void region 321 may be about 2 to about 10 times greater than the spacing between other adjacent pairs of nozzles, such as about 5 times greater, as shown. In some other examples, the supply face 328 may have two or more separate void areas between more closely spaced nozzle groups.

As shown in fig. 3C, void region 321 is located at or near the horizontal center (measured in the Y direction) of supply surface 328. Also as shown, void region 321 overlaps gas inlet 324 (e.g., is aligned with gas inlet 324). When void region 321 overlaps gas inlet 324, as shown in FIG. 3C, the gas flow distribution through the remaining nozzles 326 is improved. In other words, by preventing straight gas flow through one or more nozzles that would otherwise overlap with the gas inlet 324, the gas flow distribution through the remaining nozzles 326 is more uniform. In some other embodiments, a baffle or diffuser plate may be provided in the body 322 to improve the airflow distribution through the nozzle and/or to increase the airflow uniformity.

Another advantage of including void region 321 near the horizontal center of supply face 328 is that a relatively high airflow is directed toward the radial edge of substrate 132 as compared to the radial center of substrate 132, for example, when a higher airflow at the radial edge is desired. In some other examples, void region 321 may be located near a horizontal edge of supply face 328, for example, when a higher airflow at a radial center of substrate 132 is desired.

Fig. 3D shows an injection module 330 having nozzles arranged in two different directions on a supply face 328 (i.e., along the Y-Z plane). Similar to fig. 3B, the injection module 330 has two body portions 332a-332B that are separated from one another by a vertical partition 333. The vertical partition 333 is located at or near the horizontal center (measured in the Y direction) between the two individual body portions 332a-322 b. The injection module 330 has two separate and independent gas inlets 334a-334b. The first gas inlet 334a is coupled to the first body portion 332a, and the second gas inlet 334b is coupled to the second body portion 332b. Similar to fig. 3B, a plurality of nozzles are formed in respective supply surfaces 338a-338B of each body portion 332a-332B facing the interior of the process chamber 110. However, in contrast to fig. 3B, a plurality of nozzles are arranged on the supply surface in both the vertical (Z) and horizontal (Y) directions. The first set of nozzles of the first body portion 332a has an upper row 336a and a lower row 336a'. Likewise, the second set of nozzles of the second body portion 332b has an upper row 336b and a lower row 336b'. The stacked arrangement of nozzles increases the airflow distribution in the vertical (Z) direction. In some examples, each set of nozzles may have two to nine rows, such as two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine rows. In some examples, each set of nozzles may have the same or different number of rows. In some examples, the nozzles in fig. 3A-3D may have uniform or non-uniform spacing or spacing. In some examples, the number of nozzles in each body portion may be the same or different. In some examples, the nozzles may have the same or different dimensions.

In some examples, any of the injection modules having multiple gas inlets (shown in fig. 3B and 3D) may have void areas similar to fig. 3C to selectively control the gas flow associated with the substrate.

Fig. 4A-4D are cross-sectional views of various implant modules 400a-400D that may be used in the process chamber 110 according to examples of the present disclosure that may be combined with other embodiments disclosed herein. Fig. 4A-4D illustrate a body 402, a single gas inlet 404 coupled to the body 402, and a plurality of nozzles 406 formed in a supply face 408 of the body 402. Fig. 4A is a top cross-sectional view of injection module 400 a. As shown in fig. 4A, the nozzles 406a are oriented perpendicular to the supply face 408 (also referred to as "straight nozzles"). The nozzles 406a are parallel to each other in the X direction.

Fig. 4B is a top cross-sectional view of injection module 400B. As shown in fig. 4B, the nozzles 406B are oriented at different angles from perpendicular to the supply face 408 and the X-direction (also referred to as "angled nozzles"). In fig. 4B, the nozzle 406B is configured to be angled toward a counterclockwise direction (-Y direction) relative to the substrate 132 (fig. 2B). In some other examples, the nozzles 406B may be configured to be angled in a clockwise direction (+y direction) relative to the substrate 132 (fig. 2B). In some examples, the angle of the nozzle 406b measured in the +y or-Y direction from perpendicular to the supply face 408 may be in the range of about 0 ° to about 80 ° in either direction, such as about 0 ° to about 60 °, such as about 0 ° to about 45 °, such as about 0 ° to about 30 °, such as about 0 ° to about 15 °, or about 15 ° to about 75 °, such as about 30 ° to about 60 °, such as about 30 °, about 45 °, or about 60 °, in either direction. In fig. 4B, the angled nozzles 406B are parallel to each other and thus have the same angle as the supply face 408. In some other embodiments, the angled nozzles 406b may be oriented at different angles from each other. The remaining nozzles 406a are oriented perpendicular to the supply face 408, similar to FIG. 4A. In some other embodiments, the straight nozzles and angled nozzles may be combined in various arrangements depending on the application. For example, the straight nozzles and the angled nozzles may be arranged in a pattern such as an alternating pattern.

Fig. 4C is a side cross-sectional view of the injection module 400C with the nozzles aligned in two different directions on the supply face (as shown in fig. 3D). As shown in fig. 4C, the nozzle 406C is a straight nozzle oriented perpendicular to the supply face 408. The nozzles 406c are parallel to each other in the X direction.

Fig. 4D is a side cross-sectional view of the injection module 400D with nozzles aligned on the supply face in two different directions (as shown in fig. 3D). As shown in fig. 4D, at least some of the nozzles are angled relative to the supply face 408 and the X-direction (also referred to as "angled nozzles"). In other words, the nozzle is inclined with respect to the horizontal (X-Y) plane. The nozzles 406d are configured to angle upward (+z direction) away from the substrate 132 (fig. 2B). The nozzles 406e are configured to angle downward (-Z direction) toward the substrate 132 (fig. 2B). In some examples, the angle of the nozzles 406d-406e measured in the +z or-Z direction from perpendicular to the supply face 408 may be in a range of about 0 ° to 80 °, such as about 0 ° to about 60 °, such as about 0 ° to about 45 °, such as about 0 ° to about 30 °, such as about 0 ° to about 15 °, or about 15 ° to about 75 °, such as about 30 ° to about 60 °, such as about 30 °, about 45 °, or about 60 ° in either direction. The remaining nozzles 406C are oriented perpendicular to the supply face 408, similar to FIG. 4C. In some other embodiments, the straight nozzles and angled nozzles may be combined in various arrangements depending on the application. For example, the straight nozzles and the angled nozzles may be arranged in a pattern such as an alternating pattern.

Fig. 4E is an isometric front view of injection module 400E with a plurality of nozzles 406f-406k formed in respective supply faces 418f-418k of each body portion 412f-412 k. As shown in FIG. 4E, the number, size, spacing, and planarity of the nozzles 406f-k on each corresponding supply surface 418f-418k may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the size, spacing, and/or planarity of the nozzles 406f-406k on each respective supply face 418f-418k may be the same or different than adjacent nozzles 406f-406 k. The number of gas inlets 444a-444e may be the same as, greater than, or less than the number of body portions 412f-412 k. In some embodiments, multiple body portions 412f-412k may share a single gas inlet 444a-444e. In some embodiments, which may be combined with other embodiments described herein, a single body portion 412f-412k may have multiple gas inlets 444a-444e. While each of the nozzles 406f-406k is shown as being perpendicular to the respective supply face 418f-418k, it is contemplated that in some embodiments, one or more of the nozzles 406f-406k are angled with respect to the respective supply face 418f-418 k. In embodiments where one or more of the nozzles 406f-406k are angled relative to the respective supply faces 418f-418k, the nozzles 406f-406k may be directed in at least two or more directions.

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure, other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A process chamber suitable for semiconductor fabrication, comprising:

A chamber body;

a rotatable substrate support disposed inside a processing volume of the chamber body, the substrate support configured to have a rotational spin rate;

An inlet port formed in the chamber body; and

An injection module coupled to the inlet port, the injection module having:

A main body;

one or more gas inlets coupled to the body; and

A plurality of nozzles formed in a supply face of the body, the supply face configured to face an interior of the chamber body, and gas exiting from the injection module configured to have a flow rate; and

A controller configured to operate the process chamber such that a ratio of the flow rate to the rotational spin rate is between about 1/3 and 3.

2. The processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising an outlet port formed in the chamber body, wherein the outlet port is located at a position rotated 270 ° counter-clockwise from the inlet port.

3. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein:

the substrate support is configured to have a rotational spin rate of greater than or equal to about 2 hertz,

The processing volume is configured to have a pressure of at least about 100Torr, an

The controller is configured to operate the processing chamber such that a ratio of the flow rate to the rotational spin rate is between about 1/2 and 2.

4. The processing chamber of claim 3, wherein the plurality of nozzles are perpendicular to the supply face.

5. A process chamber according to claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of nozzles are angled relative to the supply face.

6. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the injection module comprises:

two body portions separated by a partition; and

A separate gas inlet is coupled to each body portion.

7. The processing chamber of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nozzles are aligned on the supply face in at least two different directions.

8. The processing chamber of claim 1, further comprising:

A second inlet port formed in the chamber body; and

A second injection module coupled to the second inlet port.

9. A processing chamber, comprising:

A chamber body;

a rotatable substrate support disposed inside a processing volume of the chamber body;

An inlet port formed in the chamber body; and

An injection module coupled to the inlet port, the injection module having:

A main body;

one or more gas inlets coupled to the body; and

A plurality of nozzles formed in a supply face of the body, the supply face configured to face an interior of the chamber body, wherein the supply face has a void area with a larger spacing between adjacent nozzles than a spacing between other adjacent pairs of the plurality of nozzles.

10. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the spacing between adjacent nozzles adjacent to the void region is about 2 to about 10 times greater than the spacing between other adjacent pairs of nozzles.

11. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the supply face comprises two or more separate void areas.

12. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein the void region is located at or near a horizontal center of the supply face, and wherein the void region overlaps the one or more gas inlets.

13. The processing chamber of claim 9, further comprising a controller, wherein:

The processing volume is configured to have a pressure of at least about 100Torr,

The gas exiting from the injection module is configured to have a flow rate, an

14. The processing chamber of claim 9, wherein one or more of the plurality of nozzles are angled relative to the supply face.

15. A processing chamber, comprising:

A chamber body;

a rotatable substrate support disposed within a processing volume of the chamber body;

An inlet port formed in the chamber body; and

An injection module coupled to the inlet port, the injection module having:

two or more body portions;

For each pair of adjacent body portions of the two or more body portions, a vertical partition separates the adjacent body portions;

for each of the two or more body portions, a gas inlet is coupled to the respective body portion, and a gas conduit is coupled to the respective gas inlet; and is combined with

And is also provided with

For each of the two or more body portions, a plurality of nozzles are formed in the supply face of the respective body portion.

16. The processing chamber of claim 15, wherein each of the vertical baffles is located at or near a horizontal center between the respective pair of adjacent body portions of the two or more body portions.

17. The processing chamber of claim 15, wherein the gas flow through each gas inlet is independently controlled.

18. The processing chamber of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nozzles are aligned on the supply face in at least two different directions for at least one of the two or more body portions.

19. The processing chamber of claim 15, wherein:

A first set of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles is coupled only to a first gas inlet, wherein the first set of nozzles is perpendicular with respect to the supply face, and

A second set of nozzles of the plurality of nozzles is coupled only to a second gas inlet, wherein the second set of nozzles is oriented at an angle other than perpendicular relative to the supply face.

20. The process chamber of claim 15, wherein the substrate support has a rotational spin rate greater than or equal to about 2 hertz, the process volume has a pressure of at least about 100Torr, the gas exiting the injection module has a flow rate, and a ratio of the flow rate to the rotational spin rate is between about 1/3 and 3.